King Curtis

I first heard the name when Duane Allman mentioned it on a live version of Soul Serenade that the Brothers did.  He talks about how it was a beautiful service, Stevie played and Aretha sang.  He then goes on to say that whoever did what he did will get what he deserves.  So my introduction to King Curtis was a speech by a guitar legend talking about his murder before he launches into one of Curtis' legendary songs.  I listened, processed, and then really didn't give it much thought for a long time.  Fast forward a number of years and I was trolling YouTube and came across a video of 'Memphis Soul Stew'.

Now this video started me on my quest to learn more about the man.  Curtis Ousley, born Feb 7, 1934, was a sax player that was at various stages in his career, a bandleader, session man, band member, producer and music director.  He gained his first major bit of notoriety for providing the sax solo on the Coaster's song 'Yakety Yak'.  The amount of people he played with is too long to list here, but a partial list includes the names Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Herbie Mann and Aretha Franklin.  Her backing band 'The Kingpins' was led by Curtis.

In the 70's during his time with Aretha he played on 'Aretha Live At Fillmore West'.  During these shows he also recorded 'King Curtis Live At Fillmore West' with his band, along with Billy Preston on organ and The Memphis Horns.

This is the first King Curtis album I bought.  The tracks are a mixture of originals and covers of popular songs of the time.  If you haven't heard this album you owe it to yourself to check it out.  It would eventually become King's biggest selling album.  The track I've decided to showcase from the album is his cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love'.  Re-interpreted as a saxophone song it easily ranks up there as one of my favourite covers.  Like I mentioned in an earlier post, a cover should bring something new to the table.  This one does.

Now for the sad part.  In August 1971, he was murdered during an argument on the steps of his apartment, with a couple of drug addicts who were in his way.  Asked them to move and then dead.  

Tragic.

The Heptones

I was crate digging at a local used book store and came across this.

Now when I picked it up I had no idea who they were.  But looking at the cover I'm thinking 3 things:
1) Reggae
2) Jamaica
3) 70's

So I took the risk.  The one thing I've realized in the last few years is you have to take a chance on an album because the reward is so worth it sometimes.

The Heptones: Leroy Sibbles, Earl Morgan and Barry Llewellyn came together in Kingston in 1965. They spent their early career recording for numerous major Jamaican producers, as well as doing session work.  In 1975 they signed with Island Records and released 'Night Food' in 1975.

Now these guys were a early example of reggae and rocksteady music that was around Jamaica in the 60's and early 70's.  They moved from their rocksteady roots into reggae and this album, although reggae, is a very laid back version of their earlier styles.

When I finally got home and spun this album it proved once again that taking a chance is worth it.  It's a great album for a lazy day with some great harmonies and slow relaxed reggae.  Nothing like the reggae of Marley or Tosh, where the music had political or social overtones, just music meant for relaxed listening.

For your pleasure I present song 1, side 1, Country Boy.

Robert Palmer

Confession.  Until recently if you said Robert Palmer I would say, "Addicted To Love".  Maybe "Power Station" if I was feeling like I wanted to show off the ol' musical knowledge.  Turns out I didn't know sh!t!!

If you go back to the beginning Mr. Palmer was a good English boy who released music that sounded like he had lived in New Orleans his whole life.  His first solo album "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" was him backed by funk band The Meters and produced by Little Feat leader Lowell George.  It is filled with track after track of great rock funk fusion and featured songs penned by Palmer, Lowell and the great Allen Toussaint.

On his second album "Pressure Drop", he was backed by Little Feat and even went on tour with them.  Once again, the album had a mix of song by Robert, Lowell, Toussaint, and he even covered the classic Maytals reggae song that is also the album title.

What I love about discovering all this early music that I didn't really know about is I've developed a new respect for Robert as an artist.  The music he made in the beginning of his career is in heavy rotation on the turntable right now and because of that I've turned a few friends on to it as well.  And that is the great thing about digging into the past.  You uncover stuff you had overlooked or weren't even exposed to.  I am smart enough to understand that I don't know everything about the music that is out there and when I find old songs that are new to me I get a great rush.  It's all about the journey and the exploration of music.  And the sharing.  Friends getting together and discovering, or re-discovering, music is one of my favourite things in the world.

In honour of the two great albums, I present to you one track from each.  From 'Sneakin', side 1, track 1, the Lowell George song 'Sailin' Shoes'

And from 'Pressure Drop', another Lowell track, from side 2, song 2, 'Trouble'

Enjoy, and if you hadn't heard these before, go out and find these albums, you won't regret it!

H.P. Riot

Last time I was at my Dad's house my son was digging through the garage and came across a pile of my old records.  Mixed in was a bunch of my brothers and one of them was a record I had never seen before.

Now this fantastic gem needs a little explaining.  It was recorded in Vancouver, B.C. in 1973 and released on Concept Records which was based in Regina Saskatchewan.  Now comes the puzzling part. The band was a funk band from San Francisco.  A 10 piece 'rock and soul' band that took their name from the neighbourhood they grew up in Hunter's Point.  Named after a 'race riot' that took place there in 1966.

On the back cover it says:  Hunter's Point Riot, better known as H.P. Riot, is excitement.  Excitement in sound, excitement in feel, excitement in movement, and, especially, excitement in their ability as performers.  It's music from the soul.

Makes perfect sense to me.  What we have here is a San Fran funk band that spent a large amount of time touring and preaching the funk gospel to Western Canada, and probably signed the record deal while on tour.  That's how lots of funk bands did it.  I'll let you take a minute to come up with some other 70's funk bands that took the same route.  Go ahead, I'll wait...........I spent a bit of time on it myself and didn't come up with anything either.  Talk about taking the unconventional path.

But enough of all that, it's the music that's important right!  Well the music is good.  Early 70's funk done the right way by young men eager to be heard.  I've managed to get my hands on a second copy (in case my brother wants his back) and I've seen it around here and there so I could get a few more, but it seems outside of Vancouver it's on the rare side.  If you can get your hands on it I would highly recommend it.

For now let me give you a taste.

Song 1, Side 2 "Help Me (Get It On)"

Dance The Night Away

Sometimes a song shouldn't be covered, and if it is great care should be taken.  Case in point, Santana's cover of 'Dance the Night Away' from Van Halen 2.  I could take the easy route and just say it sucks and be done with it but for me it goes beyond that.  A cover should bring something new to the table.  Spin it in a different direction, off course if you will.  You should still hear the original intent but why not push it a bit.  


The cover on the album 'Strummin' with the Devil' is an example.  I'll admit I'm not totally in love with this version either but at least they re-interpreted it a bit. 


When it comes to Santana, I'm starting to get a little disappointed in some of the choices made in the twilight of his career.  He seems to be content with noodling over top of other peoples music and cashing the cheques.  The music he made early in his career ranks up there with some of the all time classic rock songs.  Now, not so much. He has instead decided to cover others peoples songs.  And while I applaud the idea of making a cover album of great guitar rock songs, there really should be a 'parachute clause' built into the process where if what is coming out of the speakers sucks everyone involved should stop before anymore damage is done.  For those of you that haven't heard it here is a link:


http://www.vhnd.com/2010/09/19/santanas-cover-of-dance-the-night-away/


I won't post it on here because, well, I don't like so it has no business on this blog.


This is the Stummin version:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7XHoncmCd0&p=014FCCBAF3257C32&playnext=1&index=1

Now in an effort to cleanse here is the orig...

Now that is how it should be done.  The covers can now drift away into obscurity please.

Money for Nothing

So the CRTC has banned 'Money For Nothing' because of the word 'faggot'.  It only took them over 25 years to get around to it though.  I find it interesting that a song that went to number one, stayed there for around three weeks, won a Grammy, had already gone through the same controversy when it originally came out, is now thrust back into the spotlight because 1 person complained. ONE.  Not a gay and lesbian alliance, not a whole group of people, but one person who obviously didn't pay attention to the context that the word was used.  Don't get me wrong, calling someone that word is wrong on many levels, but in the song, the character that utters the word is a caricature of a knuckle dragger that uses the word because he is jealous that the rock star on TV is getting more tail than him.  Could Mark Knopfler have gone with a different word?  Yep, and he did in a radio edit that was done in the 80's.  Does he have to?  Now that is a different question because there is something called artistic license, not to mention freedom of expression.  Up here in the Great White North in a little document called the 'Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' in section 2(b) there is a provision that guarantees: "Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: ... (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication". 


So what's next.  I can think of numerous songs that if you picked apart the lyrics, you could find issues.  Not gonna list them though.... no need to make it easy on anyone.  If someone wants to do that I ain't going to help.


I guess the only thing I can do is this....

Oh, by the way..... Money For Nothing is number 91 on the iTunes top download charts.  Not too shabby for a 25 year old song.

Herbie Mann 'Push Push'

Now this ranks up there as one of those 'bad' covers.  When I first saw this one in Joe's stack I actually laughed.  What were they thinking?  Did the rest of the photo's for the cover get lost or accidently burn up in a rare one hour photo mart fire.  I completely dismissed this album on first look.  Then I heard it.  Sounded cool on first listen.  Then I listened closer.  Turns out this thang is cool.  'Skydog' Allman on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums.  This cover completely hides what lurks underneath.  And therein lies the problem.  Sometimes the cover lies.  You need to look under the surface to get to the good stuff.  It shouldn't be about the surface, the image, the package.  Because after all is said and done, you don't put the cover on the turntable.  It's not the picture that's coming through the speakers.  Close your eyes.  If it's good then it doesn't matter what it looks like.


Push Push